India: Where The Magic Happens

You don’t come to India to be comfortable. We knew that before we ever arrived. Everyone knows it. The name India is synonymous with chaos and all the things you’ve heard about it are true.

It’s obnoxiously loud. Horns constantly blare from the streets and every other building seems to be under some form of construction so saws are sawing and hammers are hammering. Windows on the bus squeak open like nails on a chalk board, phones continuously ring unanswered and the woman mopping the floor drags the metal chairs across the tile sending clanging sounds echoing throughout the dining room. If the dogs aren’t barking the roosters are crowing. There isn’t a moment of silence. Ever. The Indian people seem to be completely immune.

It’s unbelievably dirty. Trash litters every roadside and floats atop every body of water. When someone finishes their chai tea they simply toss the cup at their feet and carry on. You won’t walk more than five minutes down the street without seeing a man urinating into a ditch or a cow taking a dump wherever they stand. When it rains the roads flood and people are forced to wade through the murky, urine drenched water to reach their destinations. When the rain subsides sloshy mud pits remain. At times the water coming out of the bathroom facet smells so staunchly that you have to step outside of it to brush your teeth without gagging.

There are a plethora of colors, textures and smells. Temples jut into the sky with bright colors and shapes while every flat surface below is plastered with bills. Walk the length of a city block and you’ll take in the aroma of fried roti and spices, cow shit, dirt, incense, gasoline and one of the most pungent and gut wrenching smells of human sewage you could ever imagine.

With a population of 1.2 billion people, it’s crowded, and this culture’s relationship to personal space is clearly dictated by the very lack of it. Motorbikes weave through heavily trafficked streets, squeezing between rickshaws and pedestrians with mere inches to spare. If you leave the slightest gap between you and the guy in front of you in line, someone will view it as an invitation to step in. Get in where you fit in is the name of the game. People will peer over your shoulder to see what you are reading, demand that you give them a tip or some water or whatever else they want, and they will definitely, without question, stare at you.

It’s an all out assault on your senses. And it never stops.

We’ve been in India less than a week and it’s clear that the world operates on it’s own terms here and nothing can be taken at face value. In perfect Exotic Marigoldfashion the woman behind the hotel counter will insist there is hot water when just twenty minutes earlier you stood naked in the bathroom, running buckets of water until you finally resigned to a cold rinse. A rickshaw driver will insist you get in, that he knows where he is going only to stop along the way and ask for directions. No problem except that he now expects you to pay double the agreed upon amount because he went out of the way and it’s further than he thought. The salesman will smile and tell you it’ll be ready in ten minutes, come back then. When you return forty minutes later, he’ll smile (with a charming wobble of the head) and tell you it’ll be ready in ten minutes.

It’s maddening. And I’m not complaining. I’m simply attempting to articulate all the ways that India is making me uncomfortable. (Side note: There are plenty of ways that India fascinates and delights me but that’s not what I’m talking about here. More on that next time.)

Maybe you’ve seen this:

It comes across the Facebook feed on occasion and people give it quick Likes as if to say Yes, it’s true, the magic is outside your comfort zone! I’ve thought of this graphic on several very uncomfortable occasions. Am I just missing the magic or what? Because right now this just feels irritating.

But there is something about it that propels me to quickly click Like too, something that speaks a bit of truth I can relate to, and even now in my discomfort, I can sense the promise of magic on the horizon. I catch it in glimpses between bus horns and lingering stares. In the moments that so completely boggle my mind that I burst into hysterical laughter and am swallowed by the whole notion that it’s all so very meaningless.

India is reliably unreliable and I have a hunch that in there lies her magic. Her gift to give me might just be the nudge I need to surrender to the things I cannot control, however uncomfortable that might be.

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Ashlie was born in Big Spring, Texas and has claimed Dallas as her home for the last 10 years. A life long love of travel, a healthy dose of curiosity and a desire to discover other worlds has set her off on the adventure of a lifetime. She takes with her a passion for photography and a commitment to make a difference wherever she goes.

Guys..peace be with you (hands together with small nod of head). I spent what seemed like a year in India in the worst 3 weeks of my life. Grab peace where you can.
How long until we get there? "20 minutes, 20 minutes", but I never got there. I was never so glad to get out of a country alive.......enb theos...jim

I actually laughed out loud at "20 minutes, 20 minutes but I never got there". It can be frustrating. That's too bad that your experience was so unpleasant. I'm actually enjoying our time here and the stretching that it has caused me. I'm interested to see how being here impacts me over the next few months. Thanks for reading, Jim.

I have spent a bit of time in India (3 months) - so not that long, but the saying from my first visit....'Oh, India..." said with a knowing sigh.... She is maddening and wonderful and probably the most amazing place I have ever visited. Surrender yourself to her - and that is when the magic will happen! Oh... India.....
Aurora recently posted...Playground for adults

India is such an interesting place. I've never been, but people I've known who have traveled there either seemed to love it immediately or feel completely overwhelmed. I'm sure it has a little to do with the area and first experiences, but I'm excited to see how I'll react!
Beautiful writing!
Claire recently posted...A Short History of the Places I Have Been: Melbourne, Australia

We are planning on going to India in the new year and have been warned extensively by other travellers about it. What we have found that people who tend to love it are the ones that spend the most time there. It took us 2 full weeks to get over the culture shock there and I'm starting to think it'll be double that in India! Good luck guys.
Ross recently posted...In Pursuit of the Endangered Irrawaddy Dolphin

Oh Lawd! I would die! I would get assassinated before I left the airport, but at least I can see it through your eyes. Ashlie....YOU ARE AMAZING! You still have a smile on your face! Miss y'all! Be safe.

Beautifully put Ashlie. India will work her magic on you, in every good, bad and ugly way possible. Enjoy the ride - it's endless. Even when you leave, India will be there, forever wedged in some deep crevice of your heart, pulling you back to her. We've just decided NOT to go back for our 8th visit, in favour of new adventures, but reading this makes me want to rethink our rethinking all over again.
Hannah recently posted...An adventure by any other name

Awesome article, not sugar coating the facts about travel there will hopefully prepare folks like myself whom are planning to travel to India (for three months!) and want to be as prepared as possible. Did you read about how tough it was traveling there before you went and did it help at all or do you just have to resign yourself to the madness? At any rate it looks like an awesome place to visit
Frank recently posted...It starts with a click

We had been traveling for fourteen months before we arrived in India and had met plenty of other travelers along the way that prepped us with their own experiences. It did help although I don't think you can really be ready, you just have to show up and go with the flow. Resisting the madness will only make you crazy. Lol. Good luck to you!